If you can't find the word immediately

You don't want to be completely silent, but you need time to find the words.
"Well"
"OK"
"So"
Changing the subject
Everyone in the conversation has given an opinion, and now you want to talk about
something else.
"Anyway,"
"Well, as I was saying"
"So, back to "
"So, we were saying "

Rephrase
Sometimes we say things that other people don't understand, or we give the wrong
impression. Here are some expressions you can use to say something again.
"What I meant to say was"
"Let me rephrase that"
"Let me put this another way"
"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear"
Go back to the beginning
If you're explaining something, and you realise that the other person doesn't understand,
you can use the following phrases:
"If we go back to the beginning"
"The basic idea is"
"One way of looking at it is"
"Another way of looking at it is....

At FCE level
You can impress the examiner with some more complicated grammar and vocabulary. Use
a range of infinitive forms ("she seems to be studying" or "they seem to have had an
accident" such as in the photo comparison, conditionals, passives and phrasal verbs.
Expand your ideas and speak without too many pauses. For the photo comparison try to
give two or three comparisons before you go on to the second part of the photo question
(how the people are feeling, for example.)
Use linking words and phrases. Words like "this" and "it" help you avoid repeating the
same words; "while", "whereas", "however" help you compare photos; and "firstly",
"secondly" etc help you to build an argument in the conversation part.
If your partner is finding Part 3 difficult, take the initiative. You can use phrases like "So do
you mean?" or "So do you think this is a good idea?" Use summarising phrases to finish

part 3: "So to summarise", "So in conclusion"

Conversation tip: During the exam (and especially part 4) try and relate what you say to
what your partner has said. For example, "Like Sara, I think that"

Talking about your opinions and beliefs in English

There are many ways to give your opinions when speaking English. The exact English
expression you use depends on how strong your opinion is.

Giving your opinion neutrally

"I think"
"I feel that"
"In my opinion"
"As far as I'm concerned"
"As I see it"
"In my view"
"I tend to think that"

Giving a strong opinion

"I'm absolutely convinced that"
"I'm sure that"
"I strongly believe that"
"I have no doubt that"
"There's no doubt in my mind that"

English expressions for asking someone's opinion

"What do you think?"
"What's your view?"
"How do you see the situation?"
"What's your opinion?"

Talking about your beliefs

"I believe in" (the importance of free speech)
"I'm a (great / firm) believer in " (fresh air and exercise)
"I'm convinced that" (there's a solution to every problem)

"I'm passionate about" (human rights)

"I'm committed to " (working towards peace")
"I don't believe in "
"I think that is" (true / complete nonsense, etc)
Note
After a preposition such as in or about, you need either a noun or a gerund.
For example: "I believe in free speech", or "I believe in saying what you think".
After "that", you need a clause.
For example, "I believe that we must safeguard the planet."

Giving a reason for your beliefs

"There must be / can't be .. (life after death) because otherwise"
"There's no evidence for / to support " (an afterlife)
"There's no other way to explain / account for "

Talking about your religious beliefs

"I'm a practising " (Catholic, Muslim, Jew etc)
"I'm a non-observant / lapsed " (Catholic)
"She's a devout" (Christian, etc)
"I'm a 'don't know.'"
"I'm an agnostic."
"I'm an atheist."
"He's an extremist / fundamentalist / evangelist."

Talking about your political beliefs

"I support / back (the Labour Party)."
"I'm a Conservative / Liberal / Socialist / Labour Party supporter."
"I'm a life-long (Conservative / Labour Party supporter)."
"I've always voted (Tory, Liberal etc)."
"He's a staunch Conservative."
"She's a dyed-in-the-wool Marxist."
Speaking tip
To avoid misunderstandings or arguments, only talk about your political or religious beliefs
in conversations with people you know well. It's probably also safer to avoid religious or
political discussions with colleagues at work. The British, in particular, tend to view
political and religious beliefs as extremely personal, and can sometimes find too much
public discussion of these embarrassing or even insulting.
Here are some phrases you can use to "exit" an uncomfortable discussion.
"I'm not really comfortable talking about if you don't mind."
"I'd rather not discuss my (political) beliefs if you don't mind."
"I'm not sure this is the right time / place to discuss "

Speaking about hopes in English

There are a number of expressions you can use to show your hopes and preferences either
for the long-term future, or for the more immediate future.

Hopes for the long-term future

Here are some useful expressions for speaking about what you would like to happen in your
life, or for the changes you'd like to see.
In an ideal world, I'd ( I'd have a great job and a big family.)
In an ideal world, there ( there would be peace / there wouldn't be any wars.)
It would be great / fantastic / wonderful if . ( if everyone could get along.)
In the long-term, I'm hoping
Follow either with an infinitive or a "that" clause.
"In the long-term, I'm hoping to go to university."
"In the long-term, I'm hoping that I will become a doctor."
I've always hoped for (+ noun)
"I've always hoped for a good job."
I've always dreamed of . (+ ing)
"I've always dreamed of becoming an astronaut.

Hopes for the near future

I'm hoping for (+ noun)
"I'm hoping for a new cell phone for my birthday."
I'm hoping to get
"I'm hoping to get a new phone."
I would like
"I would like to go on a round-the-world trip."
(The short form of "I would like" is "I'd like".)
Remember: you can follow "I would like / I'd like" with either a noun or a verb.
"I'd like to go away for Christmas."
I really want (Using "want" can be impolite unless you are talking to a close friend or
family member.)
Something I've always wanted is
I'd be delighted / over the moon if
"I'd be delighted if you gave me a new watch."
Remember: the verb following "if" should be in the past tense, as you are talking about a
hypothetical situation. This means that it looks like a second conditional sentence. (See If
sentences for more information about conditionals.)
What I'd like more than anything else is
On my Christmas wish list is

Preferences
I'd rather have (+ noun)
"I'd rather have tickets to the opera."
Remember: you can follow this with a comparison:
"I'd rather have tickets to the opera than tickets to the theatre.")
I'd rather you (+ simple past)
"I'd rather you saved your money."
I'd prefer (+ noun)
"I'd prefer some money for the new house."
Remember: after "prefer" the preposition is "to":
"I'd prefer some money for the house to tickets for the opera."
I'd prefer it if you (+ simple past)
"I'd prefer it if you gave some money to charity."
.. would be more suitable / would be better
"A learning toy would be better for Ronnie than money."
If I had a choice, I would go for (+ noun)
("Go for" means "choose between a number of options)
If it's all the same to you, .
"If it's all the same to you, I'd like some book tokens."